Some medical procedures utilizing catheter or sheath systems require that the tubular bodies of such systems be split in order to allow the removal of the tubular bodies from a patient. For example, catheter and sheath systems are utilized to deliver a left ventricular (“LV”) lead of a cardiac resynchronization therapy (“CRT”) system into the coronary sinus of a patient for implantation. In order to allow the tubular body to be removed off the implanted lead and from within the patient once implantation is complete, the tubular body must be longitudinally split.
To facilitate the slitting/splitting of a tubular body, several companies offer separate dedicated slitting/splitting tools. For example, Pressure Products, Inc. of 1861 N. Gaffey Street, San Pedro, Calif. 90731 offers the models PLS-07, PLS-09, SLT-07 and SLT-09 slitting/splitting tools. In use, these tools are aligned with and placed onto the lead after a hemostasis valve at the proximal end of the tubular body is manually split. The slitting/splitting tool is then slid over the lead until the tool's tip encounters the tubular body. The tool is then secured to the lead and the tubular body is withdrawn from the patient and over the tool, thereby slitting/splitting the tubular body and allowing the tubular body to be removed off the lead without inadvertent lead dislodgement. Medtronic, Inc. of 710 Medtronic Parkway, Minneapolis, Minn 55432-5604 and Guidant Corporation of 111 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, Ind. 46204-5129 offer similar slitting/splitting tools.
Because the aforementioned slitting/splitting tools must be aligned with, placed on, and secured to the lead extending through the tubular body, the tools unnecessarily complicate the tubular body removal process. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a device for, and a method of, slitting/splitting a tubular body of a catheter or sheath that reduces the complication associated with such a procedure.